This Gosho is dated September 3, 1275, the second year after Nichiren Daishonin's return from
exile in Sado. It is
addressed to the wife of Abutsu-bo, who was known as Sennichi-ama.

This reply is to a question Sennichi-ama asked concerning the degrees and effects of slander
against true Buddhism.
The concept of slander here implies the slandering of the Mystic Law existing in one's own life
rather than the
criticism of a particular doctrine. To slander the Lotus Sutra means to slander the Mystic Law
revealed in it. Hence
slander leads to the degradation of human life itself, the denial of its inherent dignity.
Slander in this sense is any
thought, word or deed which denies another's Buddha nature, and thus the inherent dignity of
his life. That is why its
effects are so serious. The Daishonin sternly admonishes against slander, and urges believers
to consider it their
responsibility to remove another's evil and to lead him to enlightenment. He encourages
Sennichi-ama to cherish the
supreme aspiration for happiness in her next lifetime, to solidify "the embankments of her
faith" and to continue her
quest for greater understanding of true Buddhism.

The Embankments of Faith

In your letter, you asked how the effect varies according to the degree of slander against
Buddhism. To begin with,
the Lotus Sutra was taught to lead all people to enlightenment. However, only those who have
faith in it attain
enlightenment. Those who slander it fall into the hell of incessant suffering. As the sutra
states, "One who refuses to
take faith in this sutra and instead slanders it immediately destroys the seeds for becoming a
Buddha in this
world....After he dies, he will fall into the hell of incessant suffering."

There are many degrees of slander. Even among those who embrace the Lotus Sutra, very few
uphold it steadfastly
both in mind and in deed. But those who do will not suffer serious retribution even if they
have committed minor
offenses against Buddhism. Their strong faith expiates their sins as surely as a flood
extinguishes tiny fires.

In the Nirvana Sutra, Shakyamuni states, "If even a good priest sees someone slandering the Law
and disregards
him, failing to reproach him, to oust him, or to punish him for his offense, then that priest
is betraying Buddhism.
But if he takes the slanderer severely to task, drives him off or punishes him, then he is my
disciple and one who
truly understands my teachings."

his admonition forces me to speak out against slander in spite of the persecutions I face, for
fear that I might
become an enemy of Buddhism if I did not.

However, slander can be either minor or serious, and there are times when we should overlook it
rather than attack it.
The adherents of the Tendai and Shingon sects slander the Lotus Sutra and should be refuted.
But without great
wisdom it is very difficult to differentiate correctly between their doctrines and the teaching
which Nichiren
expounds. Therefore, at times, you might be well advised to refrain from attacking them, just
as I did in the Rissho
Ankoku Ron.

Whether or not we reproach another for his slander, it is difficult to prevent him from
committing a grave sin. If we
see or hear a person commit slander and make no attempt to stop him even though he could be
saved, we betray our
great gifts of sight and hearing and so commit an act of utter mercilessness.

Chang-an wrote, "If you befriend another person but lack the mercy to correct him, you are in
fact his enemy." The
consequences of this offense are extremely difficult to erase. The most important thing is to
continually strengthen
your compassion to save others from their own slanderous nature.

When a person's slanders are minor, he may sometimes need to be admonished, but at other times
this is
unnecessary, for he may be able to correct his faults without being told. Reprove a person for
acting against
Buddhism when necessary so that both of you can forestall the consequences of slander. Then you
should forgive
him. The point is that even minor slanders can lead to serious ones, and then the effects he
must suffer would be far
worse. This is what Chang-an meant when he wrote, "To remove a man's evil is to be like a
parent to him."

There are examples of slander even among Nichiren's disciples and believers. I am sure that you
have heard about
Ichinosawa Nyudo. In his heart he is one of Nichiren's disciples, but outwardly he still
remains in the Nembutsu sect.
Therefore, I am very concerned about his next life and have presented him with the ten volumes
of the Lotus Sutra.

Strengthen your faith now more than ever. Anyone who teaches the truths of Buddhism to others
is bound to incur
hatred from men and women, priests and nuns. Let them say what they will. The most important
thing is for you to
entrust your life to the golden teachings of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, T'ien-t'ai,
Miao-lo, Dengyo and
Chang-an. This is the way to practice correctly according to the Buddha's teachings. The Lotus
Sutra reads, "If one
teaches this sutra for even a moment in the dreaded age to come, he will receive support from
all the heavens." This
passage explains that in the Latter Day when evil people stained by the three poisons will
prevail, anyone who
embraces the true teaching for even a short time will be aided and supported by the heavens.

Now you should cherish the great desire to attain enlightenment for happiness in your next
life. If you doubt or
slander even in the slightest, you will fall into the hell of incessant suffering. Suppose
there is a ship which sails on
the open sea. Even if the ship is stoutly built, should it leak even a bit, the passengers are
certain to drown together.
Even though the embankment between rice fields is firm, if there is only one tiny crack in it,
the water will never be
contained. You must bail the sea water of doubt and slander out of the ship of your life and
solidify the
embankments of your faith. If a believer's offense is slight, forgive him and lead him to
obtain benefits. If it is
serious, admonish him to strengthen his faith so that he can expiate the sin.

You are a very unusual woman since you asked me to explain the effects of various degrees of
slander. You are
every bit as praiseworthy as the Dragon King's daughter when she said, "I will reveal the
Mahayana doctrine to save
people from suffering." The Lotus Sutra reads, "To ask about the meaning of this sutra will
indeed be difficult."
There are very few people who inquire about the meaning of the Lotus Sutra. Always be
determined to denounce
slanders against true Buddhism to the best of your ability. It is indeed remarkable that you
should be helping me
reveal my teachings.